Fire-screen.



A. BURCH.

FIRE SCREEN.

APPLICATION FILED Aue.18, 1915.

Patented May 15, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 Wit Attorneys A. BURCH.

FIRE SCREEN.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 18. 1915.

Patented May 15, 1917.

Attorneys 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

-5 TD STATES PATENT Q'FTCEt ALLEN BURCH, OF AMORY, MISSISSIPPI, ASSIGNOROF ONE- -IALF TO WALTER W. FENNELL, OF AMORY, MISSISSIPPI.

FIRE-SCREEN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 15, 1917.

Application filed August 18, 1915. 7 Serial No. 46,159.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALLEN BURCH, a citi- Zen of the United States,residing at Amory, in the county of Monroe and State of Mississippi,have invented a new and useful Fire-Screen, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to fire screens, one of its objects being toprovide a device of this character which can be adjusted readily to fitopen fireplaces of different widths and which has combined with it apanel adapted to be used either as a front section of the screen or elseas a shelf on which utensils may be placed when it is desired to cookover the fire back of the screen.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the combination andarrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed, it being understood that changes in the preciseembodiment of the invention herein disclosed, can be made within thescope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

In the accompanying drawings the preferred form of the invention hasbeen shown.

In said drawings Figure 1 is a front elevation of the fire screen.

Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof.

Fig. 8 is a rear elevation.

Fig. 4 is a section on line A-B Fig. 3 and showing the adjustable panelswung inwardly to position for use as a shelf.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference l designatesstandards having upper and lower longitudinal slots 2 and extendingrearwardly from the lower portion of each standard is an arm 3terminating at its back end in a foot 4 so that the standard is thusallowed to stand in a substantially upright position. The arms 3'constitute supports for logs or other fuel.

Arranged in front of each of the standards 1 is a panel 5 having a foot6 at its outer end and an inwardly extending flange 7 at said end, therebeing upper and lower blocks 8 at the inner end of the panel and uponthe back face thereof. Extending through the flanges 7 and blocks 8 ofthe two panels 5 and through the slots 2 in the standards 1 are upperand lower connecting rods 9 preferably screw threaded throughout thelength thereof. Nuts 10 engage the ends of the rods and bear against theouter sides ofthe flanges 7 and by means of these nuts the two panels 5can be adjusted toward each other. Additional nuts 11 are mounted on therods and bear against the blocks 8 and by means thereof the panels 5 canbe adjusted away from each other. Nuts 10 and 11 on the two rodscooperate to hold the panels normally against movement relative to eachother. Nuts 12 are mounted on the rods at opposite sides of thestandards 1 and serve to clamp said standards so as to hold them againstmovement independently of the rods. By loosening the nuts the standardscan be adjusted upwardly or downwardly relative to the panels 5.

Pivotally mounted on the upper rod 9 at points between the inner ends ofthe panels 5 are ears 13 extending inwardly from the upper portion of acentral panel 1% which is adapted to lap the inner end portions of thepanels 5 and to be supported in front thereof as shown particularly inFig. 2. Nuts 15 engage the upper rod 9 between the ears l3 andconstitute means for holding the central panel against lateral movementalong the rod. It will be obvious that by con structing the screen asdescribed the same can be adjusted readily to fit into fireplaces ofdifferent widths and by adjusting the standards 1 vertically relative tothe panels 5, the same can be adjusted to rest upon surfaces elevatedabove or lowered below those surfaces on which the legs 6 are mounted.This is especially useful where the end portions of the screen areadapted to rest on the floor while the standards are adapted to restupon elevated tiles.

Should it be desired to use the screen as a support for utensils thecentral panel 14 of the screen can be swung upwardly and backwardlyuntil one longitudinal edge thereof is brought against the back faces ofthe panels 5, as shown in Fig. 4, whereupon the intermediate panel llwill be held in a substantially horizontal position. Thus utensils canbe supported over the logs or other fuel.

Extending inwardly from the back face of each panel 5 near its flange 7are loops 16 preferably arranged in pairs, said loops being locatedabove supporting blocks 17 on the panels 5. Thus various implements,

such as tongs, pokers and the like may be inserted downwardly throughthe loops and supported on the blocks 17.

What is claimed is 1. A fire screen including spaced front space betweenthe panels, a central panel,

ears extending therefrom and engaging one of the rods to support thecentral panel normally in front of the inner end portions of the sidepanels, the upper edge of the middle panel cooperating with the backfaces of the side panels to support the middle panel in a substantiallyhorizontal position back of the side panels and irrespective of theextent of adjustment of said side panels relative to each other.

2. A fire screen including spaced front panels, threaded rods connectingthe panels and constituting adjustable connections therebetween, saidrods extending across the space between the panels, a central panel,ears extending therefrom and engaging'one of the rods to support thecentral panel normally in front of the inner end portions of the sidepanels, the upper edge of the middle panel cooperating with the backfaces of the side panels to support the middle panel in a substantiallyhorizontal position back of the side panels and irrespective of theextent of adjustment of said side panels relative to each other, andarms adjustably con nected to the rods and supporting feet extendingfrom the arms. 3

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ALLEN BURCH,

Witnesses j W. C. SATTERWHITE,

P. C. COATY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

